Those conditions have made the aftermath an emergency within an emergency — increasing the dangers for those trapped under the rubble, for survivors without adequate shelter, and for rescuers working long hours digging.
Hypothermia starts when a person’s core temperature falls below 95 degrees, and it becomes severe at 86 degrees. The brain’s built-in thermostat, the hypothalamus, triggers a cascade of reactions:
Cheeks redden as surface blood vessels periodically dilate to preserve skin tissue.
Muscles shiver to produce heat.
Blood vessels in skin and extremities constrict to concentrate warmth around the core.
That leaves the body vulnerable to frostnip, when ice crystals form in and around cells and cause temporary pain, tingling, numbness and loss of dexterity.
Hairs stand up (goosebumps). In furry mammals, the reaction traps insulating air next to the skin, but it doesn’t help humans.
Thinking becomes confused and speech slurred. The person loses coordination and, eventually, consciousness.
Breathing becomes shallow.
If blood vessels remain constricted, frostnip can turn to frostbite as blood-starved cells begin to die. Skin turns hard and waxy and often purple or black.
Sources: U.S. National Library of Medicine, Baylor University Medical Center, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Medical News Today, WebMD.
BONNIE BERKOWITZ AND PATTERSON CLARK
THE WASHINGTON POST
Hypothermia starts when a person’s core temperature falls below 95 degrees, and it becomes severe at 86 degrees. The brain’s built-in thermostat, the hypothalamus, triggers a cascade of reactions:
Thinking becomes confused and speech slurred. The person loses coordination and, eventually, consciousness.
Cheeks redden as surface blood vessels periodically dilate to preserve skin tissue.
Muscles shiver to produce heat.
Blood vessels in skin and extremities constrict to concentrate warmth around the core. That leaves the body vulnerable to frostnip, when ice crystals form in and around cells and cause temporary pain, tingling, numbness and loss of dexterity.
Breathing becomes shallow.
If blood vessels remain constricted, frostnip can turn to frostbite as blood-starved cells begin to die. Skin turns hard and waxy and often purple or black.
Hairs stand up (goosebumps). In furry mammals, the reaction traps insulating air next to the skin, but it doesn’t help humans.
Sources: U.S. National Library of Medicine, Baylor University Medical Center, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Medical News Today, WebMD.
BONNIE BERKOWITZ AND PATTERSON CLARK / THE WASHINGTON POST
These are freezing conditions that would be difficult to endure for anyone not dressed in many warm layers, said E. John Wipfler III, a clinical professor at the University of Illinois at Peoria College of Medicine.
The earthquake struck at around 4:17 a.m. local time. People were mostly at home sleeping, not adequately dressed for the cold outside, said Pranav Shetty, a humanitarian health adviser with global health and relief organization Project Hope.
Additionally, many of the victims experienced trauma during the quake, he said, adding that their blood loss and injuries make them more vulnerable.
Extended exposure to freezing temperatures increases the chances of frostbite — an injury where skin or tissue freezes, usually starting at the body’s extremities. The more serious concern is hypothermia — when low body temperature can become fatal.
Hypothermia gets progressively worse as exposure continues, explained Wipfler.
People experience hypothermia when their body temperature drops below 95 degrees. Once that begins, their chances of dying from injuries they sustained from the earthquakes immediately increase. As their temperature drops lower, it becomes harder for them to shiver, leaving the people with no way to maintain body heat.
After that it becomes harder for them communicate or call out for help, and they begin to lose consciousness. The hypothermia becomes severe at a body temperature of 86 degrees, and the risk of death becomes acute.
Making the situation especially critical is the moisture caused by intermittent rain showers in the region, said Rachel Dowty Beech, senior lecturer and coordinator of the University of New Haven’s emergency management program.
Hypothermia can occur in even cool temperatures when a person is wet, as damp clothes and moisture on the skin draws heat out of the body more quickly. In Turkey and Syria, both cold and wet conditions are present.
This happens in part through conduction, or the process of losing body heat through contact with an object. Laying on a cold concrete slab or wooden floor, for example, would make someone hypothermic faster.
For rescuers, too, harsh weather conditions are not conducive for long work days. Rescue work is very technical and time-consuming, with some rescue sites requiring hours upon hours of physical work, Shetty said. The cold definitely cuts down on their efficiency, and may require more rotations of teams, he said.
With thousands of buildings destroyed, those who lost their homes now have to find adequate shelter for warmth. Both countries will have to provide and maintain emergency communal shelters. That’s on top of the large vulnerable and displaced population, especially in northwestern Syria, that did not have adequate shelter even before the quake.
*This story has not been edited by The Infallible staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.
